Battery terminal and cable cleaning brush



y 7, 1963 F. R. SWEENEY 3,088,150

BATTERY TERMINAL AND CABLE CLEANING BRUSH Filed Aug. 18, 1960 6 INVENTQRFRANCIS R. SWEENEY 4W QMQ MMJ ATTORNEY5 ited States This inventionrelates to cleaning devices of the type particularly adapted forcleaning battery terminals and connectors.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel battery terminal andconnector clea-nin-g device utilizing two kinds of brushes, one for theterminal and one for the connector, and so constructed and arranged asto facilitate replacement of either of the two types of brushes.

Another object is to provide a simplified and compact construction forcleaning devices of the character described and wherein the parts may beconveniently assembled and disassembled to permit replacement of parts.

A further object resides in the provision of an improved, durable andinexpensive cleaning device of the type described.

According to the invention, the celaning device includes a base memberand a brush holder removably connected together. An annular or femalebrush preferably formed of metallic or steel wires is disposed withinthe base member and retained therein by .the brush holder, while thebrush holder, itself, carries a second or male cleaning brush alsopreferably formed of metallic or steel wire. A cover is provided for themale brush, and this cover is designed to be removably engaged to thebase member. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, to bedescribed in more detail hereinafter, the base member is provided with acommon internally threaded portion designed to be threadedly engaged byexternal threads on the brush holder and cover, whereby the cover andbrush holder may be conveniently removed from the base member, ifdesired, thus facilitating cleaning, repair, or replacement of parts.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obviousand in part pointed out hereinafter.

The novel features of'the invention may be best made clear from thefollowing description and accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of a battery terminal and connectorcleaning device embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a partially, vertically sectioned view of the device asshown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal sectional View taken generally along line 33 ofFIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken generally along line 44 ofFIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of one embodiment ofthe brush holder with a female or annular cleaning brush arrangedtherein;

' FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the brushholder.

Referring now to the drawing, the illustrative embodiment of theinvention there shown comprises a base member 10, a brush holder 12, afemale cleaning brush 14, a male cleaning brush 16 and a cover 18,constituting the cleaning device 20. The base member is shown as beingof cup-shaped configuration having cylindrical side walls 22 and a webor inturned flange 24 at one end thereof and formed with or defining acentrally disposed aperture 26 therein. At the other end of the basemember, there are provided internal threads 28, as best seen in FIGURE2.

The brush holder 12, as best seen in FIGURES 2, 3

and 5, is also of cup-shaped configuration including a cylindrical skirt30, and a web 32 including a boss 34 having a pilot hole 36 therein.cleaning brush 16 will be mounted in the pilot hole 36, and the femalecleaning brush 14 will be disposed within the cylindrical skirt 30, aswill be described in more detail hereinbelow.

As best seen in FIGURES 3 and 5, the female cleaning brush 14 may be aconventional card cloth brush, which may be made by tempered steel wires33 stapled into a flexible cloth and rubber backing 40. Such a cardcloth brush will normally come in strips of a length designed to beformed into an annulus of a size to fit within the cylindrical skirt 30of the brush holder 12. The brush holder 12 is also shown as beingformed with a 'I'lb 42 on the inside of the skirt portion 30 andextending throughout the height thereof so as to be engaged by the endsof the backing of the female cleaning brush 14. By reason of this rib42, the backing 40 will be prevented from rotating relative to the skirt30 during use.

The upper end of the brush holder 12 is shown as being formed withexternal threads 44- thereon designed to be engaged to the internalthreads 28 of the base member 10, and the upper part of the boss 34- isshown in FIG- URE 2 as being hexagonal in configuration so as to beengaged by a suitable tool, if desired, in tightening the brush holder12 in position on the :base member 16, or for removing same therefrom,as will be evident.

When the brush holder 12 with the female brush 14 therein is mounted inthe base member 10 in the position shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the femalecleaning brush 14 will define a hole coaxial or concentric with theaperture 26 in the web 24 of the base member whereby a battery terminalor the like may be cleaned by inserting the terminal through theaperture 26 and into the hole defined by the cleaning brush 14, and thenmoving the brush 14 relative to the terminal, as is evident.

The male cleaning brush 16 may be of the conventional construction shownin FIGURES 2 and 3 including a twisted wire stem 46 with wire bristles48 held between the twists of the stem and trimmed so as to provide agenerally conical shape, as shown. The stem 46 is designed to be mountedin the pilot hole 36 in the brush holder 12, as indicated above. It ispreferred that both the brush holder 12 and the base member 10 be madeof a plastic, for example, a high impact polystyrene, and an exemplaryprocedure for arranging the stem 46 of the brush 16 in the pilot hole 36of the brush holder 12 is as follows: the stem 46 of the brush 16 isfirst heated in any suitable manner and to a somewhat elevatedtemperature, for example, to about 650 F. The heated stem 46 is theninserted into the pilot hole 36 which preferably is slightly smaller indiameter than the diameter of the stem 46 of the brush. As the hot stem46 is foced into the pilot hole 36, it will cause some of the plastic tomelt whereby the stem 46 may be pushed farther into the hole 36 untilthe bottom of the stem is disposed at about the bottom of the hole. Atthis time, the parts are allowed to cool, and during such cooling, theplastic in the boss 34 of the brush holder 12 will solidify so as totightly and firmly retain the brush 16 in position on the brush holder.

The cover 18 preferably is also made of plastic, such as a high impactpolystyrene, and is provided with external threads 50 at the open lowerend thereof for engagement -to the upper portion of the internal threads28 on the base member 10, as indicated in FIGURE 2. An annular shoulder52 is also formed on the cover 18, and this shoulder is designed toengage the upper end of the base member 10 when the two parts arethreadedly connected together. Ribs 54 are shown as The stem of the male3 being provided around the cover for strengthening purposes, and six ofthese ribs 54 may be arranged on the cover, spaced approximately 60 fromeach other, as indicated in FIGURE 4.

As will be apparent, when it is desired to clean a battery connector,the male brush 16 Will be utilized by inserting same into the femalebattery connector (not shown).

By virtue of this construction, it will be appreciated that the brushholder 12 may be conveniently connected to or disconnected from the basemember 10 whereby the female brush 14 may be replaced. It iscontemplated that, if desired, the brush holder 12 with the brushes 14and 16 connected thereto, as shown, may be sold as a replacement unit tobe used with an existing base member 10 and cover 18, and to replace abrush holder having worn out brushes.

FIGURE 6 illustrates a modification of the brush holder shown in FIGURE5, and similar reference numerals have been used to designate similarparts. The brush holder 12' is shown as being identical to the brushholder 12, except it does not include the cylindrical skirt portion 30.It is intended that the stem 46 of the male brush 16 be mounted in thepilot hole 36 of boss 34', in the same manner as that described above.With this type of brush holder, the card cloth or female brush 14 willbe arranged in the base member 10 so that the backing 40 of the brushdirectly engages the inside of the cylindrical walls 22 of the basemember, with the wires 38 again defining a hole concentric or coaxialwith the aperture 26 for reception of the battery terminal. The brushholder 12 will again be threadedly connected to the threads 28 on thebase member 10, and will be screwed thereinto preferably until itengages the upper end of the female brush 14. Thus the brush 14 will beretained between the flange or web 24 of the base member 10 and thebrush holder 12'. Although not shown, the cylindrical portion 22 of thebase member 10 may be provided with a rib, such as the rib 42 providedon the skirt portion 30 of the brush holder 12 in FIGURE in order toengage the ends of the backing 40 of the female brush 14, as discussedabove, in the event that the brush holder'12 of FIGURE 6 is to beutilized therewith. However, such a rib may be omitted and relativerotation between the female brush 14 and the base member prevented bytightening the brush holder 12' against the brush backing 49 to increasethe frictional resistance against such rotation.

The present invention will thus be seen to completely and effectivelyaccomplish the objects enumerated hereina bove. It will be realized,however, that various changes and substitutions may be made to thespecific embodiments disclosed herein for the purpose of illustratingthe principles of this invention, without departing from theseprinciples. Therefore, this invention includes all modificationsencompassed within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A cleaning device of the character described comprising: a hollowcylindrical base member opened at both ends, said member including aradially inwardly extending annular flange means at one end thereof andinternal threads adjacent the other endthereof; an annular brushingelement removably arranged in said base member in concentric relationtherewith with its bristles extending inwardly; a brush holder havingexternal threads thereon removably threadedly engaged to said internalthreads of said base member and coacting with said flange means toretain said brushing element in said base member; an elongated hollowcover of sufficient length to be manually grasped and thereby operativeto shield another brush carried by said brush holder within its hollowinterior when so grasped, said cover including external threads formedat said open end thereof and being removably threadedly engaged to saidinternal threads of said base member and outwardly of said brush holder,whereby said annular brush is operative for cleaning battery terminalsand the like when the elongated cover is manually grasped, and saidannular brushing element can be replaced by removing said elongatedcover and said brush holder from said base member.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein said brush holder is ofinverted cup-shaped configuration.

3. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein said brush holder is ofgenerally disc-shaped configuration.

4. A cleaning device of the character described comprising: a cup-shapedbase member having cylindrical side walls and a centrally apertured webat one end thereof; a cup-shaped brush holder removably threadedconcentrically within said base member with said member and said holderbeing in inverted relation to each other; an annular brushing elementdisposed concentrically in said holder and between the webs of saidholder and: said member with its bristles extending inwardly; and anelongated cover of hollow construction having an open end exteriorlythreaded for removable engagement with said base member adjacent saidbrush holder, said elongated cover being of sufficient length to begrasped and thereby aiford protection from a male brush element; carriedby said brush holder therein.

5. The structure defined in claim4 wherein said holder and said memberare made of plastic.

6. The structure defined in claim 4 wherein said base member includesinternal threads at the open end thereof opposite its web, and saidbrush holder and said cover including external threads removablythreadedlyengaged to said internal threads.

7. The structure defined in claim 6 wherein said internal threads arecontinuous, with the external threads on said holder being in engagementtherewith inwardly of the external threads on said cover.

8. A cleaning device of the character described comprising: a hollowcylindrical base member for receiving an annular brushing elementhaving. a radially inwardly extending flange means at one end thereofdefining, an aperture; a brush holder removably threaded to said basemember at the end of said base member opposite said flange means; saidbrush holder including a concentric nut-like, wrench-engageable bossextending 'oppositely from the apertured end of said base member; a malebrushing element secured to said boss in opposite- 1y extendingrelationship to said base member; an elongated hollow cover having anopen end exteriorly threaded for engagement with said base memberadjacent said brush holder; said cover being of hollow construction andof sufiicient length to be manually grasped and thereby operaitve toshield said male brushing element carried therein.

9. The structure defined in claim 1 including a nutlike :boss mounted inconcentric relationship on said brush holder opposite said base memberwhereby said brush holder may be secured within said base member by awrench.

10. The structure defined in claim 4 including a concentric, nut-likeboss on said brush holder opposite said brushing element whereby saidbrush holder may be secured within said base member by a wrench.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 90,235Burrows May 18, 1869 1,950,862 Page Mar. 12, 1934 2,018,086 Parsons Oct.22, 1935 2,621,352 Speig Dec. 16, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 162,869 GreatBritain May 12, 1921

4. A CLEANING DEVICE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED COMPRISING: A CUP-SHAPEDBASE MEMBER HAVING CYLINDRICAL SIDE WALLS AND A CENTRALLY APERTURED WEBAT ONE END THEREOF; A CUP-SHAPED BRUSH HOLDER REMOVABLY THREADEDCONCENTRICALLY WITHIN SAID BASE MEMBER WITH SAID MEMBER AND SAID HOLDERBEING IN INVERTED RELATION TOP EACH OTHER; AN ANNULAR BRUSHING ELEMENTDISPOSED CONCENTRICALLY IN SAID HOLDER AND BETWEEN THE WEBS OF SAIDHOLDER AND SAID MEMBER WITH ITS BRISTLES EXTENDING INWARDLY; AND ANELONGATED COVER OF HOLLOW CONSTRUCTION HAVING AN OPEN END EXTERIORLYTHREADED FOR REMOVABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID BASE MEMBER ADJACENT SAIDBRUSH HOLDER, SAID ELONGATED COVER BEING OF SUFFICIENT LENGTH TO BEGRASPED AND THEREBY AFFORD PROTECTION FROM A MALE BRUSH ELEMENT CARRIEDBY SAID BRUSH HOLDER THEREIN.